Across central Ohio, people honor those who served and died

The children sprinted to the street, hair matted with sweat, reaching for ice-pops offered from a parade float.

The children sprinted to the street, hair matted with sweat, reaching for ice-pops offered from a parade float.

A row of young girls on a dance team marched through the heat, swinging pompoms. Their coach walked through the formation, cooling each dancer's face with a spray bottle filled with water.

Another marcher, an enormous English mastiff wearing a green T-shirt, panted heavily and slurped greedily from a water bottle held by his owner.

Memorial Day was a hot one, that's for sure. But no one at the Worthington parade yesterday was complaining about clear skies after weeks of rain.

And, of course, Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have fallen in the service of the United States, rain or shine.

"Compared to our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is nothing," Col. Paul Craft said, speaking of the heat.

"To see all the young kids and the families bringing their young kids out for this, it gives you hope for the future."

Craft, deputy commander of the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade of the Ohio National Guard, spoke during a ceremony at the Walnut Grove Cemetery after the parade.

Worthington's parade, in its 91st year, was one of many Memorial Day parades and observances held over the weekend in central Ohio. Worthington's event was sponsored by American Legion Post 239. Graying veterans in old-fashioned vehicles traveled down the street alongside Corvettes and high-school bands.

Dave King, 76, of Baltimore in Fairfield County, wore his uniform from when he served in Korea. He waved to the cheering crowd from a 1951 Jeep.

Tom and Linda Reisch of the Northwest Side stood at the corner of Dublin-Granville Road and High Street. Both wore shirts featuring the American flag.

Mr. Reisch said he figured that God must have held back the rain.

"'It's a special occasion down there. Let's be nice to them,'" he said, chuckling.

At 11 a.m., two fighter jets flew overhead, piloted by National Guard members based in Toledo.

A couple of hours later in Pickerington, members of American Legion Post 283 buried a time capsule full of items left at the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall when it was in town in November.

Letters, packs of cigarettes, a case of beer and children's drawings were placed in the capsule, said David England, a post officer.

It will be unearthed in 20years during the post's 50th-anniversary celebration, he said.

At the ceremony yesterday, a crowd of about 80 stood in the 90-degree heat to remember men and women who died in the service of their country. That included David Johnston, a Pickerington Marine who died at age 19 in 1969 in Vietnam. The post is named in his honor.

Johnston's brother, Robert, and sister, Trena Duchesne, helped shovel dirt onto the time capsule. Several men in their brother's unit still travel to his grave every year on Memorial Day weekend from all over the country, they said, a tradition they've pledged to continue until their deaths.

"This is wonderful," Duchesne said. "It's sad, and it brings back all the memories. But it should. He gave his life for this."

A 21-gun salute and taps closed the ceremony.

Then, veterans and guests escaped into the air-conditioned post for pop, beer and hot dogs.